Q.
What is a group
of bats called?A.
A group of bats is
called a "colony."

Q.
What is a baby
bat called? A.
A baby bat is known
as a "pup."

Q.
I've found
a bat. What should I do?A.Leave it alone! Do
not handle or pick it up! Contact Animal Control
or your state/country's Fish and Wildlife
Services. Bats are wild
animals and should never be touched. They are mammals
and like
all mammals they can get rabies.

Q.
Why do
bats hang upside down?A.
Bats have evolved
into hanging upside down for two main reasons.
First, they can get high up and away from their predators
and
enemies. Secondly, by just turning loose and flapping
their wings
they get "instant flight."

Q.
Where
can I get more information about a specific bat? A.
Just
click here.

Q.
Can
I get bats from an animal store to keep? A.
No. Bats are
considered a protected species and it's against
the law to keep bats unless you are a licensed wildlife
handler/rehabilitator. Bats are not pets
and cannot be
kept as such.

Q.
How do I get bats out of my house?A.
Bat Conservation
International offers advice on excluding bats
from buildings.
Click
here to get to that site. You can also
contact your state/country's Fish and Wildlife Services
and discuss
the situation with them. But never try to
catch the bat(s) yourself.

Q.
What
artificial means can I use to attract bats to my new bat house?A.
None! Bats
are independent animals and if they find the bat house
attractive they'll move in. Be sure to check out
whether or not bats
are actually in your area before building a bat
house. Also check the
conditions needed to assure the bat house will
be attractive. Click
here to get that information.

Q.
How can I build a bat house?A.
Free plans for
building a bat house are available from Bat Conservation
International.
Click
here to obtain plans that you can print out.

Q.
What kinds of enemies do bats
have?
A.Humans
are the biggest threat to bats today. But bat's natural
predators include owls, eagles, hawks,
falcons, raccoons,
wildcats and snakes.

Q.
How long do bats normally
live?
A.Most
bats live about 10 years.

Q.
What do bats do when the weather turns
cold?
A.In the cold climates bats either hibernate
or migrate to warmer
locations. Bats living in the tropical zones
stay active year round.